Air America breaking news: "USA to fingerprint ALL visitors !!!"

"Oelewapper" wrote in message
...
| Dear allies, welcome to the age of digital fascism... :
|
| Millions of visitors from some of the United States' closest allies soon
| will have to be fingerprinted and photographed before entering the
country,



snip - "the sky is falling, the sky is falling"


So - your point is ?



I must have spent an accumulated total of 2 hours over the last 5 years,
when travelling through Asia, with the local immigration apes trying to
work out if it was me or some other white man travelling on my passport.

I asked one in KL what the problem was and he told me as tactfullty and as
politely as he could, that we all look the same.


Fingerprinting and photographing should only take another couple of minutes
and could even speed up the process (maybe !!)


Think of an alternative, how long would it take to stand in line and work
up a DNA sample ?


The US is on the list of countries that I'll be visiting in the next couple
of years; why don't you look out for me Oelewapper - I'll be showing my
finger - just for you.







Cheers


Dave Kearton

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 07:27:28 +0200 Oelewapper said...

The expansion, which will take effect by Sept. 30, means only diplomats and
travelers from Mexico and Canada will not be fingerprinted and photographed
when they enter the United States through 115 airports and 14 seaports, said
Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security at the
Department of Homeland Security. ...

So presumably the easiest way to get in to the US without these stupid
fingerprint and photograph checks is to say fly in to Canada and cross
over the border by road....

--
Phil Richards
London

YUP! But remember that the Canadian border control system works too. Our laws are
different that USA border control laws, but we do keep terrorists out - convicted
ones that is. We also adhere to the premise that folks are innocent until proven
quilty - except for thoe where there is suspicion. This past week there was a SWAT
team raid on a home in our national capital region (Ottawa) and a Canadian citizen
was arrested and is held in detention with charges against him. Something to do
with those arrested in the UK on terrorism and bomb making charges.

No border is immune, but to think that Canada is a pipeline for terrorist entry
into the USA is baloney.! Besides, the US border control types are pretty
vigilant too, and I have thanked them for the questioning of me and my family when
we enter the USA.

The problem, as I see it, is if someone comes in with several counterfeit
passports..... and then enters the USA from Canada with a Canadian passport. No
fingerprinting would flag the person entering the USA as a terrorist - unless the
fingerprints were in some USA accessable data base.

The USA requirement for my fingerprints will not be of any value to the licensing
agency requiring them because I have absolutely NO history in the USA. I do in
Canada, but my history is clean - it is there in the database, but clean. The US
agency does NOT access the Canadian CPIC system or any other Canadian data base -
so what is the point of their exercise?

Hence, I wonder what is the point of the USA fingerprinting aliens entering the
USA? Perhaps it is to salve some troubled intellect(s).

Ken
Winnipeg, Canada

Phil Richards wrote:

So presumably the easiest way to get in to the US without these stupid
fingerprint and photograph checks is to say fly in to Canada and cross
over the border by road....

"Ken Pisichko" wrote in message
...
YUP! But remember that the Canadian border control system works too. Our
laws are
different that USA border control laws, but we do keep terrorists out -
convicted
ones that is. We also adhere to the premise that folks are innocent until
proven
quilty - except for thoe where there is suspicion. This past week there
was a SWAT
team raid on a home in our national capital region (Ottawa) and a Canadian
citizen
was arrested and is held in detention with charges against him. Something
to do
with those arrested in the UK on terrorism and bomb making charges.

No border is immune, but to think that Canada is a pipeline for terrorist
entry
into the USA is baloney.! Besides, the US border control types are
pretty
vigilant too, and I have thanked them for the questioning of me and my
family when
we enter the USA.

The problem, as I see it, is if someone comes in with several counterfeit
passports..... and then enters the USA from Canada with a Canadian
passport. No
fingerprinting would flag the person entering the USA as a terrorist -
unless the
fingerprints were in some USA accessable data base.

The USA requirement for my fingerprints will not be of any value to the
licensing
agency requiring them because I have absolutely NO history in the USA. I
do in
Canada, but my history is clean - it is there in the database, but clean.
The US
agency does NOT access the Canadian CPIC system or any other Canadian data
base -
so what is the point of their exercise?

Hence, I wonder what is the point of the USA fingerprinting aliens
entering the
USA? Perhaps it is to salve some troubled intellect(s).

Ken
Winnipeg, Canada

Phil Richards wrote:

So presumably the easiest way to get in to the US without these stupid
fingerprint and photograph checks is to say fly in to Canada and cross
over the border by road....

Phil,

The Border has been tightened quite a bit in the past few months. You would
probably have to cross an a remote, unguarded gully to be safe if you were
going to do harm. If not wishing to do harm then the normal crossing would
be the easiest.


Don

In article , Ken Pisichko
wrote:

YUP! But remember that the Canadian border control system works too.
Our laws are different that USA border control laws, but we do keep
terrorists out - convicted ones that is. We also adhere to the
premise that folks are innocent until proven quilty - except for thoe
where there is suspicion. This past week there was a SWAT team raid
on a home in our national capital region (Ottawa) and a Canadian
citizen was arrested and is held in detention with charges against
him. Something to do with those arrested in the UK on terrorism and
bomb making charges.

No border is immune, but to think that Canada is a pipeline for
terrorist entry into the USA is baloney.! Besides, the US border
control types are pretty vigilant too, and I have thanked them for
the questioning of me and my family when we enter the USA.

The Canadian Auditor General disagrees with you... as of about six days
ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632219/

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

Chad Irby wrote:
The Canadian Auditor General disagrees with you... as of about six days
ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632219/

Sound bytes taken from articles which quoted sound bytes.

If they had quoted the complete auditor general statement, you would have seen
that she began by stating that overall, Canada was doing a very good job to
combat terrorism/increase security. But her role is to find the faults and in
her report she did point to a list of things that need to be fixed. (included
was the need for greater screening of airport employees BTW).

If only the USA had a similar process to point out the faults in the USA's
attempt to combat terrorism. But then again, the Bush regime would be
overwhelmed by such a report pointing to the few things done right instead of
the so many things done wrong.

In article , nobody
wrote:

Chad Irby wrote:
The Canadian Auditor General disagrees with you... as of about six days
ago.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4632219/

Sound bytes taken from articles which quoted sound bytes.

If they had quoted the complete auditor general statement, you would have seen
that she began by stating that overall, Canada was doing a very good job to
combat terrorism/increase security.

Of course she'd say that. But the qualifications she mentioned make it
quite plain that Canada is *not* doing that much to control their own
borders.

And statements like "Watch lists used to screen visa applicants, refugee
claimants and travelers seeking to enter Canada are in disarray because
of inaccuracies and shoddy updating, Fraser found" do not exactly
reinforce your views that Canada is doing a bang-up job.

But her role is to find the faults and in her report she did point to
a list of things that need to be fixed. (included was the need for
greater screening of airport employees BTW).

....and reporting of stolen passports, and better coordination between
agencies, and other things.

If only the USA had a similar process to point out the faults in the USA's
attempt to combat terrorism. But then again, the Bush regime

You know, use of phrases like "Bush regime" sorta gives away that bias,
there.

would be overwhelmed by such a report pointing to the few things done
right instead of the so many things done wrong.

You need to read more US newspapers. Your pint of view is *not* borne
out in anything like what's happening here.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

In article ,
Phil Richards wrote:

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 07:27:28 +0200 Oelewapper said...

The expansion, which will take effect by Sept. 30, means only diplomats and
travelers from Mexico and Canada will not be fingerprinted and photographed
when they enter the United States through 115 airports and 14 seaports, said
Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security at the
Department of Homeland Security. ...

So presumably the easiest way to get in to the US without these stupid
fingerprint and photograph checks is to say fly in to Canada and cross
over the border by road....

True, but going through Canada is a hell of a lot of trouble, just to
avoid an extra wait to enter the United States directly.

"Shawn Hearn" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Phil Richards wrote:

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 07:27:28 +0200 Oelewapper said...

The expansion, which will take effect by Sept. 30, means only
diplomats and
travelers from Mexico and Canada will not be fingerprinted and
photographed
when they enter the United States through 115 airports and 14
seaports, said
Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security
at the
Department of Homeland Security. ...

So presumably the easiest way to get in to the US without these stupid
fingerprint and photograph checks is to say fly in to Canada and cross
over the border by road....

True, but going through Canada is a hell of a lot of trouble, just to
avoid an extra wait to enter the United States directly.

It really is not a question of the extra wait, for us at least.
Anyway, Canada suddenly seems much more attractive than the USA.

On Sun, 4 Apr 2004 14:11:40 +0100 Marie Lewis
said...

True, but going through Canada is a hell of a lot of trouble, just to
avoid an extra wait to enter the United States directly.

It really is not a question of the extra wait, for us at least.
Anyway, Canada suddenly seems much more attractive than the USA.

Personally I've always found Canada more attractive than the USA....

--
Phil Richards
London